Electric vehicles (EVs) aren’t just the future—they’re becoming a big part of our lives today. As more people switch to EVs, the demand for affordable and eco-friendly charging options is growing fast. That’s where solar EV charging comes in. This exciting technology uses renewable energy to power your car, making it better for the planet and your wallet.
But what is solar EV charging, and why does it matter? In this blog, we’ll break it down in simple terms, share the benefits, and show you how Emporia’s easy-to-use Excess Solar Management feature can fit right into your daily routine.
What Is Solar EV Charging?
Simply put, solar EV charging means using energy from the sun to charge your electric car. Solar panels collect sunlight and use it to generate electricity, allowing you to power your vehicle without relying on power from the grid. In addition to being a clean and renewable way to charge your car, there are real savings benefits on electric bills you can realize by charging with solar panels.
Using solar EV charging helps create a greener future while saving you money. By relying on solar power instead of traditional electricity, you can reduce harmful emissions and help conserve energy. It’s a smart choice for both individuals and businesses who want to cut down on their carbon footprint and save on energy costs.
Benefits of Solar EV Charging
Solar EV charging offers a range of benefits, including environmental sustainability and long-term cost savings:
1. Reduce environmental impact
Solar EV charging is great for the planet. Unlike regular electricity, which often comes from burning fossil fuels, solar energy is clean and renewable. Charging your car with solar power means zero emissions, helping to fight pollution and climate change. Pairing a solar-powered charging system with your electric car is an easy way to make your lifestyle even more eco-friendly.
2. Save money
Switching to solar charging can help you save money over time. Sunlight is free, so once you’ve installed your solar panels and charging equipment, you’ll see your electricity costs drop. Rather than sending excess solar energy back to the grid where utilities often pay you significantly less than what they charge for electricity, using that power to charge your EV on-site maximizes the value of every kilowatt-hour your panels produce.
3. Energy independence
With solar EV charging, you can produce your own electricity instead of relying on the grid. This means you’re less impacted by variable electricity prices (higher costs during certain times of day) and even long-term increases in electricity rates.
Does Solar Charging Work With Any EV Charger?
A common misconception with solar EV charging is that it’s as simple as having solar panels and plugging your car in. While this sort of setup will charge your EV sometimes with solar power, the truth is a lot more convoluted. Here’s why:
When you plug your car into a standard charger, it draws power just like any other appliance. This means that even if you have solar panels, your car might not actually be charging on solar energy. For instance, if it’s cloudy, early morning, late evening, or if your home’s energy usage exceeds what your panels are producing, the charger will rely on grid power to make up the difference. Without a system that can monitor and optimize energy flow, you won’t know if your car is truly charging on solar or simply using grid electricity.
In order to reliably charge your car off the sun, you need a smart charger and an energy monitor that knows when solar energy is available to use, and then can direct that energy to your car. Emporia’s Excess Solar feature does exactly that – watches your solar production and only turns on your EV charger when there’s extra solar energy to use. Check out our solar-compatible level 2 EV charger.
How Does Solar EV Charging Work?
Let’s take a step back. There are three main components of a true solar EV charging setup that allows you to charge only off the sun:
- Solar panel system: Solar panels capture sunlight and turn it into electricity using photovoltaic (PV) cells, which is then converted into usable AC power by solar inverters.
- Charger: Your EV charger is the physical connection to solar electricity, fueling your car’s battery.
- Energy management system: An energy management system is the brains behind solar EV charging. It has to continuously track your solar production, detect when solar energy is available, and direct that energy to your EV charger.
With these three components, solar EV charging is possible. You need the hardware (a solar panel system, an energy monitor, and an EV charger) combined with energy management software that can both monitor solar production and route extra solar energy to your EV charger. The good news? Emporia’s EV chargers have energy management capabilities built in to make solar EV charging seamless.
Excess Solar Management: Emporia’s Solar EV Charging Solution
Emporia makes solar EV charging automatic with our Excess Solar Management feature. Instead of sending your extra solar energy back to the grid, this smart system uses that clean energy to charge your EV and power other devices in your home.
How It Works
The system needs three parts working together:
- Vue Home Energy Monitor: Installed in your home’s electrical panel, this device tracks how much extra energy your solar panels make and how much power your home uses, spotting when you have more solar power available than your home is using.
- Emporia App: Your control center for setting preferences and monitoring how your solar energy gets used.
- Emporia EV Charger: Your Emporia EV Charger automatically turns on when extra solar power is available.
Once set up in the Emporia App, the system handles everything automatically. When your solar panels make more electricity than your home needs, it turns on your EV charger. As your solar production changes, the system is constantly monitoring solar production and will turnyour charger on or off as well as adjust the power output based on what’s available.
Key Benefits
Once you have Excess Solar set up, the benefits are straightforward:
- Get more from your solar panels: Use your valuable solar power to charge your car instead of selling it back to the utility company at low rates.
- True solar charging: Your EV only charges when actual extra solar energy is available, so you’re really driving on sunshine.
- You’re in control: Easily set which devices get priority when extra solar power is available. You can use the Excess Solar feature with more than just your Emporia EV Charger – try setting up Smart Plugs and other connected devices!
- Works with any solar setup: Compatible with almost any solar panel system, regardless of brand or who installed it.
In some rare cases, your electrical panel might not be compatible with our Vue Energy Monitor for solar monitoring. Not sure? Get in touch with our team – we can take a look at pictures of your setup and help you troubleshoot!
Getting started is simple—once you install your Vue Energy Monitor, you can turn on Excess Solar right in the Emporia App for your EV charger. Your car will automatically start charging whenever you have extra solar power, helping you get the most value from your solar panels.
Charge Your EV Sustainably
Solar EV charging is the perfect pairing of clean transportation and renewable energy. By charging your electric vehicle with power from the sun, you’re not just saving money on your electricity bills—you’re also reducing your carbon footprint and taking control of your energy future.
The key to making solar EV charging work effectively is having a smart system that knows when to use your solar power. Emporia’s Excess Solar feature does exactly that, automatically charging your EV when you have extra solar energy available instead of sending it back to the grid for pennies on the dollar.
Whether you already have solar panels or are considering adding them to your home, Emporia’s Home Energy Management Platform makes it simple to get the most value from your clean energy investment. Ready to start driving on sunshine? Learn more about how Emporia can help you maximize your solar savings.
